菊花台 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 周杰倫

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poetic beauty of Mandarin through Jay Chou's '菊花台' (Chrysanthemum Terrace). This song offers a great opportunity to learn descriptive and emotional vocabulary rooted in Chinese culture and imagery. Its clear and melodic vocals make it easier for learners to follow, while its rich, story-driven lyrics provide a beautiful window into the art of Chinese songwriting.

[English]

Your tears shimmer with gentle pain, the pale moon curves, reminiscing on the past.

The night is too long, freezing into frost. Who is on the attic, consumed by cold despair?

Soft rain taps on the crimson window, my life scattered on paper, blown by the wind.

Dreams are far away, transforming into a waft of fragrance, drifting with the wind, your image fading.

...

Chrysanthemums wither, the ground is filled with scars, your smile has turned yellowed.

Flowers fall, hearts break—my secrets lie quietly hidden.

The north wind rages, the night is endless, your shadow cannot be cut apart.

Leaving me lonely, standing on the lake, only paired shadows remain.

...

Flowers fade as evening falls, casting brilliant petals, in a decaying world where fate is bleak.

Sorrows cross the river, autumn's heart tears in two, afraid you’ll never reach the shore, swinging through a lifetime.

Who’s ruling the land, with galloping hooves, my armor roars through the ancient times.

Dawn approaches softly, your gentle sighs fill the night, one evening of longing so delicately expressed.

...

Chrysanthemums wither, the ground is filled with scars, your smile has turned yellowed.

Flowers fall, hearts break—my secrets lie quietly hidden.

The north wind rages, the night is endless, your shadow cannot be cut apart.

Leaving me lonely, standing on the lake, only paired shadows remain.

Chrysanthemums wither, the ground is filled with scars, your smile has turned yellowed.

Flowers fall, hearts break—my secrets lie quietly hidden.

The north wind rages, the night is endless, your shadow cannot be cut apart.

Leaving me lonely, standing on the lake, only paired shadows remain.

...

[Chinese]

妳的淚光 柔弱中帶傷 慘白的月彎彎勾住過往

夜太漫長 凝結成了霜 是誰在閣樓上冰冷的絕望

雨輕輕彈 朱紅色的窗 我一生在紙上被風吹亂

夢在遠方 化成一縷香 隨風飄散妳的模樣

菊花殘 滿地傷 你的笑容已泛黃

花落人斷腸 我心事靜靜躺

北風亂 夜未央 你的影子剪不斷

徒留我孤單 在湖面 成雙

花已向晚 飄落了燦爛 凋謝的世道上命運不堪

愁莫渡江 秋心拆兩半 怕妳上不了岸一輩子搖晃

誰的江山 馬蹄聲狂亂 我一身的戎裝呼嘯滄桑

天微微亮 妳輕聲的嘆 一夜惆悵如此委婉

菊花殘 滿地傷 你的笑容已泛黃

花落人斷腸 我心事靜靜躺

北風亂 夜未央 你的影子剪不斷

徒留我孤單 在湖面 成雙

菊花殘 滿地傷 你的笑容已泛黃

花落人斷腸 我心事靜靜躺

北風亂 夜未央 你的影子剪不斷

徒留我孤單 在湖面 成雙

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
淚光 (lèiguāng) /leɪ ɡwɑŋ/ B2	noun - tears in one's eyes, tearful eyes
柔弱 (róuruò) /roʊ ˈrwɔ/ B2	adjective - weak, frail
傷 (shāng) /ʃɑŋ/ A2	noun - wound, injury verb - to wound, to injure
慘白 (cǎnbái) /tsʰan paɪ/ B2	adjective - pale, ashen
月彎彎 (yuèwānwān) /ɥeɪ wɑn wɑn/ B1	noun - crescent moon
凝結 (níngjié) /niŋ dʒjɛ/ B2	verb - to congeal, to freeze
霜 (shuāng) /ʂwɑŋ/ A2	noun - frost
閣樓 (gélóu) /kɤ lɤʊ/ B1	noun - attic, garret
絕望 (juéwàng) /dʒɥɛ wɑŋ/ B2	noun - despair, hopelessness
朱紅 (zhūhóng) /dʒuː hʊŋ/ B2	adjective - vermilion
吹亂 (chuīluàn) /tʂʰweɪ lwɑn/ B2	verb - to blow into disorder, to mess up
飄散 (piāosàn) /pʰjaʊ san/ B2	verb - to drift away, to scatter
泛黃 (fànhuáng) /fan xwang/ B2	verb - to turn yellow, to yellow
斷腸 (duàncháng) /dwɑn tʂʰɑŋ/ C1	verb - heartbroken, grief-stricken
孤單 (gūdān) /ku dan/ A2	adjective - lonely, alone
燦爛 (cànlàn) /tsʰan lan/ B2	adjective - bright, brilliant, splendid
凋謝 (diāoxiè) /tjaʊ ɕjɛ/ B2	verb - to wither, to fade
不堪 (bùkān) /puː kʰɑn/ B2	adjective - unbearable, intolerable
搖晃 (yáohuàng) /jaʊ xwɑŋ/ B1	verb - to rock, to sway, to shake
惆悵 (chóuchàng) /tʃʰoʊ tʂʰɑŋ/ C1	adjective - melancholy, disconsolate

Key Grammar Structures

• 妳的淚光 柔弱中帶傷

  ➔ 中 (zhōng) is a preposition indicating 'in' or 'within', used to describe the state or condition something is in.

  ➔ The phrase "柔弱中帶傷" uses "中" to indicate the state or condition of being 'gentle and weak, yet傷 (hurt).'

• 花落人斷腸

  ➔ 落 (luò) is a verb meaning 'to fall,' and in this context, it describes flowers falling.

  ➔ The phrase "花落" shows the action of "flowers falling," illustrating the melancholic scene.

• 你的笑容已泛黃

  ➔ 已 (yǐ) is an adverb indicating that an action has already been completed or a state has already changed.

  ➔ The word "已" emphasizes that the笑容 (smile) has already faded or changed color to泛黃 (yellowed).

• 花已向晚飄落了燦爛

  ➔ 向 (xiàng) is a preposition meaning 'towards' or 'to,' used here to indicate the direction of the flower as it falls.

  ➔ The use of "向晚" indicates that the flowers are falling towards the evening sky, symbolizing fading beauty.

• 夜未央

  ➔ 未 (wèi) is a negation meaning 'not yet,' combined with 央 (yāng), meaning 'midnight' or 'center,' to convey 'the night is not yet over.'

  ➔ The phrase "夜未央" poetically expresses that夜 (night) has not yet reached its end, conveying a sense of lingering time.

• 徒留我孤單

  ➔ 徒留 (túliú) is a verb phrase meaning "merely left" or "only remaining," highlighting loneliness.

  ➔ The phrase "徒留我孤單" emphasizes that only loneliness remains, highlighting the sense of solitude.